“Some reducers are bought, installed and promptly forgotten” When looking for high performance and reliability in speed reducers, torque is what really matters. Ever consider a cycloid drive? Submitted by: Stefanie Burns, Marketing Dept. (Sumitomo Drive Technologies) Cycloid discs are a major improvement in tooth dynamics. An improvement that allows torque- transmitting parts to roll, not grind. Since cycloidal drives have no teeth, the problems often associated with toothed gears are eliminated. Wear Tooth Breakage The primary cause of wear, tooth breakage and catastrophic failure in helical gearboxes is usually the high-speed pinion. Cycloidal drives do not have a high-speed pinion or gear teeth—they do not operate in shear, but rather in compression. In addition to not having gear teeth, cycloid drives have two-thirds of their reduction components in contact at all times. The pressure is distributed throughout these contact points and generates a smoother and more efficient operation that eliminates downtime caused by tooth failure. Overheating Will Cause More Downtime Conventional helical gears are inefficient compared to cycloid drives because of the bearing rolling friction, gear mesh friction, seal drag, churning of lubrication and the winding up of rotating components. With all this friction, conventional gear drives experience thermal limitations, that require stopping operations to allow th em to c ool down. Thermal limitations t o Cycloid drives have no because their thermal ratings exceed the mechanical capabilities. What is Different? The main c omponents of the cycloidal drive are: the eccentric cam, the internally flanged output shaft, the cycloidal disc and the ring gear housing. These components operate so uniquely that they are able to not only withstand high shock-loads, but keep the operation smooth and steady where most other drives